You're right. Sorry about that David. Didn't mean to go off track....
although I'm still hoping for some insight there.

As far as the testing environment in the video...would I like it? Probably not because its so unlike the aikido culture I'm a part of (and that I enjoy).
It would be difficult for me to comment on 'what may or may not be missing' since I have no insight into what has transpired in the day to day training of those testing, which I think is far more important that what may be a formality.
I do know that within the USAF (especially recently)- in some cases people testing at the yudansha level have been told their tests were not acceptable.